Shifting Into Spring
The day is finally here. It is officially spring! At 5:24pm today, we had a moment that happens just twice each year. Day and night were perfectly balanced. As I consistently find myself seeking to make meaning out of the every day, I got to thinking. How incredible is it that this moment only happens twice each year? Out of all the moments - just two - are “perfectly” balanced. That type of balance is so fleeting - in the Universe, and in our lives. It also served as a reminder that for the rest of the moments, either day or night is always going to be more present. As is said, life is filled with 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows. We can prioritize hope, as we feel uncertainty. We can experience great joy, while holding great sadness. We can feel gratitude while we feel pain.
Still, this particular day also reminds us of the importance of rebirth and growth. Of awakening, and starting anew. The day reminds us of the tiniest of buds beginning to sprout out from the trees, and from our hearts and minds. What a day this is, indeed.
Earlier this week I was on my daily walk. I was reflecting on how much I love this practice, and how I’m grateful that I’m inspiring so many of you to walk each day. And then I had a moment of deep sadness. I love my walk, and I deeply miss when I could run each day. You might not know this, but I used to go on a daily run. In my early days of living in New York, I would run through the city, exploring entire neighborhoods and parks, enjoying the sights of the rivers and buildings and people. Two orthopedic surgeries later, and my running came to a halt. And at first, it was devastating. I miss those runs, and the feeling I would get by pushing my body in that way. That longing still presents itself at times, and in those moments? I acknowledge my feelings and prioritize feeling deep gratitude for the fact that I can still walk. That, in and of itself, is a great gift. I don’t take it for granted, and I can still hold on to the conflicting feelings that come up from time to time. It’s all about moments of balance, right?
As we enter this period of rebirth and awakening, I find myself wondering what I want to awaken in myself. At a recent yoga class, my teacher said something in passing that stuck with me (imperfect quote, since I was being present in class!): “Don’t spend your energy on things that aren’t aligned with the spaces you want to grow in. Conserve your energy for your growth spaces.”
So as we enter into Spring, I encourage us all to do these three things:
Allow yourself to feel alllll of your feelings, no matter how conflicting they might seem.
Consider what you want to awaken within yourself. For me, it’s more play, more ease, and more presence.
Spend your energy wisely. We only have so much, so spend less in the areas you no longer want to grow in, and re-focus that energy on the areas that will allow you to blossom in new directions.
